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  Kat said:
  

"So any body who says "More weight equals more work as an object is moved. Just Physics, just the facts." doesn't have a very good understanding of physics."
  That's really odd. I have heard professional physicists and biomechanics experts say essentially those very words. Should we tell them to start workin' on their resume`s? Kat, it's no point of contention that a dolly or a lever or a cart can help lessen the effort of moving a given weight,as compared to lifting or moving it unaided. But if you use a lever or a dolly to move 50 lbs, you will use more effort to move 100 lbs. with the same device. And, don't forget, it's the physicists who are the experts on levers, dollies, friction coefficients, energy dispersement and all the things you have referred to. You don't really want to go head to head with bona fide physicist on this, do you? I didn't know that engineering was a family trade. I always thought you had to go to school for that. Learn somethin' every day.  Can you keep up with the math? I can't. I have to take my shoes and socks off to count to twenty. Your horses joint systems and "levers and springs" don't do work. They transfer the energy of the muscles that act on them. A paralyzed horse still has his joint systems, but can do no work without muscular effort, the very effort it takes to move my heavy weight down the trail. :>
 What I hear you saying, and please adjust my words if I'm wrong, is that 100 pounds of weight might only require, let' say, 60 pounds of effort to move when an assisting device is used, like a dolly or a lever or the horse's joint systems. Granted. So, a 150 lb rider and tack only feels like 
80 lbs to the horse. And maybe a 235 lb rider and tack only feel like 150 lbs. (I'm using arbitrary figures). Still relatively more effort with the heavier weight, no? 
  We could debate this 'til the cows come home. We have bandied about enough theory and discussion. Now what we need is an actual expert in these fields of study to verify or deny our cherished notions. Does anybody know of such a person? An equine physicist/biomechanist, I guess?  Dr Q




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